Goodbye
by AHeartFullOfFeels
Summary: Montparnasse finds Eponine's body after the barricade fall


Montparnasse was strolling through the streets, glad of the mournful silence. Honestly, he couldn't care less about the barricade falls, of the people who died.  
There was a little part of him who wished he did.  
He realized he was close to the last barricade to fall, the schoolboys in the Corinth. He shrugged and followed the paths to the fallen barricade.  
It was deathly silent, and already Montparnasse could see a body, a golden haired boy hanging out of a window. He recognized him as Enjolras, the leader of the barricade. He nodded up to him slightly, and then continued on.  
After looking through the broken furniture, he noticed a narrow pathway, bodies lined against the wall. He walked over and stared at the young boys, not even older than himself.  
He looked away and started to leave, when a glint caught his eye.  
He looked to the glint, a medal placed on a young boy's chest.  
He stared, his mouth falling open a little, a soft "no" leaking out. He walked over cautiously, taking in Gavroche's wounds, as his glassy blue eyes stared blankly at the sky.  
Then saw the young girl beside the boy. Her long dark hair was stained red with blood, her ratty dress scarlet. Her face was pale and lifeless, yet more peaceful than he had ever seen it in life. His eyes watered as he stared at the girl he had known.  
Montparnasse didn't love easily, but she had captured his heart with her fiery spirit.  
Now Eponine was lying dead, drenched in her own blood.  
He felt his heart being wrenched through his chest, being crushed and broken the longer he stared at her.  
He knelt down to Eponine, and slowly kissed her forehead.  
He stood back up, stared for another moment, and then ran away.  
Away from Eponine, away from Gavroche, away from the barricade that killed them.

He slowed to a walk when he was several blocks away. He took the next few streets to calm his breathing to normal, then went to the bar that the Patron-Minuette drank at often.  
As he guessed, Thenardier was there. He was mostly sober, so he could deliver the news. He took a breath to compose himself further, and then walked into the bar, going to the table. He greeted them, then turned to Thenardier.  
"I have news."  
"Did you find anything valuable among the many dead in the city?"  
"No. It's about Eponine."  
"Oh, so you found her then? I haven't seen her since Valjean got us arrested."  
"She is dead."  
"What?!" Thenardier shouted in shock.  
"Gavroche is as well. They both died on the barricade, I have just seen their bodies."  
"Damn it! Now what am I supposed to do? I was counting on Eponine to earn me money! Whatever, who needs either of them, I can do it myself." Thenardier said dismissively.

Montparnasse felt himself burn with rage as his fist clenched. Without another moment's thought, he punched Thenardier in the face as hard as he could. While the man fell to the ground, he shouted at him, giving him a kick.  
"That was for the both of them! They were better than you, they deserved to live! You are a terrible man, and that is coming from me!" he leaned in close to Thenardier, and hissed into his ear, "If I ever see you again, you will be my slowest and most painful kill."  
Then he turned on his heel and walked out of the bar like nothing happened.

It occurred to Montparnasse that there was no one to claim their bodies. They would probably be buried in an unmarked grave, forgotten to the world. He decided there was only one more thing for him to do. He went back to the barricade, which had people in it this time. There were mothers, fathers, brothers, lovers claiming their loved ones, weeping for them. He went to to where the bodies were, and men were moving the unclaimed onto carts. He stopped one of them as they went for Gavroche.  
"I'll take care of these two."

Montparnasse watched as Gavroche's coffin was lifted down into the grave, a tiny simple box. After his coffin was place down, Eponine's was sent down into her grave. Except for a small group of urchins watching Gavroche in the distance and the gravediggers, he was alone. He stayed as both graves were filled. It hurt to look at Gavroche's headstone, but even more to look at Eponine's, so he stared blankly at the headstone he had engraved in Gavroche's honor. He used all of his money for the two inscribed headstones.  
_Gavroche Thenardier  
Leader of the urchins, hero of the barricade  
"Little people may look easy pickings, but they've got some bite"_  
No one had ever really known how close he was to the young boy, even respecting him for being so strong and clever. He had found out how both of them had died, from the lone survivor of the barricade, a boy named Marius Pontmercy. He had resented him for stealing Eponine's heart, but let him be for saving Gavroche at the barricade.  
He watched as the gravediggers finished and left. The children had also left, and he was left completely alone with his broken heart as the set began to set. He took the rose from his jacket pocket, and twirled it in his fingers for a moment, letting a single tear fall down his cheek as he whispered goodbye to Eponine. He stooped down and placed the rose on her headstone, then walked away from her for the last time.  
_Eponine Thenardier  
The wolf's daughter, a flame to the heart  
Her life was dark and cold, yet she was unafraid._


End file.
